Monsters
by slowrabbits
Summary: Its the monsters that come at night that he cannot fight for her.


**Monsters: A Masami oneshot**

_by slowrabbits_

* * *

It had been two weeks since the Avatar's three friends were welcomed to the island and a week since Tenzin allowed Mako the room next to Asami's. The oldest airbender had been very relctant and disapproving at first, but even he couldn't deny that the former Sato heiress needed to be closer to the only person she sought comfort in during such a trying time. The nightmares were getting much too distressing; even the motherly Pema had been mostly unsuccessful at drawing the ravenette from the clutches of her dreams. Mako had always been the only one able to cam her down, but even then, sleep would elude the poor, green-eyed girl and she would spend the remainder of the night antsy.

It was times like this when Asami was having one of her nightmares that Mako felt the most powerless. During the waking hours of the day, it was easy to defend her against the paralyzing taps of the equalists or the volts of electricity from the gloves her father manufactured. How difficult it was for him to be unable to fight those demons for her. But there, in the cold space of Asami's borrowed room, he stood like a warrior without a sword to protect the one he loved best, the only woman he'd ever loved, come to that. He could do nothing but to be there for her when she woke up and hope that it would be enough for her.

The room was washed in soft light from the hallway. He crawled in next to her and drew her to him as he did the first time two weeks ago and tried to comfort. She fought him. She always did because in the grips of her nightmare, he was only another one of the monsters. Sharp nails raked down his sides, his back, his torso but he paid them no heed. "Shh. I won't hurt you." he whispered as her shrieks turned into sobs. "Come back, Asami." he almost begged. "It's all right. I'm here. Please."

She came out from the frenzy slowly. It seemed as if her body hurt all over; the sharp edge of her own grief stabbing her. She cried now, as she understandably had done for the last couple of weeks. Exhausted from the resistance she put up, her form curved into his as her hands sought purchase, anything to anchor her back to the real world where the monsters were no more. "I'm so tired. I don't want these dreams anymore," she whispered, and in that silent admittance, she unconsciously bestowed her trust on the man that held her. Asami didn't go around spouting words that acknowledged her weaknesses. "It felt so real," she said, her hand fluttering up to cover her face as if to protect it, her facial features screwing up in the phantom pain that she felt. "Everything hurt so badly and I couldn't wake up."

He struggled back his own emotions that tended to overwhelm him whenever he saw her so stripped, so helpless. "They're just dreams," he told her, but he didn't know how that was supposed to make anything better. He knew that bad dreams only lasted a night but they felt like an eternity to end. He wondered, did they ever stop? Was Asami bound to be haunted by these personal demons forever? She had done nothing, absolutely nothing to deserve going through so much horror and pain. She had been so innocent when her life broke into shards that seemed impossible to put back together. And now here she was, still being driven mad by nightmares every time she tried to close her eyes in search of a night of blissful sleep that rarely came.

Asami shook her head and sniffled into his chest. A violent shudder shook her frame. "The dreams always come, Mako. I'm sick of them." she moaned.

"It's okay, Asami." he muttered, even though he believed his words were empty. "I'm right here, yeah? You're okay."

She shook her head, jet-black hair tickling his chin. "I'm so cold."

Dutifully, Mako reached down to the foot of her bed and pulled over the two of them the duvet that had fallen over the edge during her fretful squirming. He felt a little satisfaction and relief when Asami melted onto him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He smoothed his hand down her back repeatedly, knowing how the simple action soothed her. For a while, he listened to her breathing go from erratic to normal. Clumps of hair clung to her face damp with sweat and tears so he brushed them out of the way, the gentle gesture awarding him with the beautiful smile that came so rare these days. His olfactory senses were infiltrated by the scent so uniquely hers: magnolias and freesia. If he tried hard enough, he could almost imagine taking her away to some exotic place where dead or lying parents didn't haunt them and conflicts didn't follow them.

With a long-suffering sigh, he shut his eyes and mentally reprimanded himself. He shouldn't even dare fantasize about things like that or get his own hopes up. It wasn't helpful to dwell on not having an easy life.

She raised a deceptively fragile hand to his face and rubbed a thumb against the skin between is brows; a gesture so tender it made his foolish heart swell. "You're frowning." she stated. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"

Mako only shook his head. There would be no more grief between them tonight. "It's fine. I just wish I could do something more for you." he said. "You deserve better."

Asami pressed soft kisses onto the skin between his neck and jaw and Mako felt butterflies in his stomach. _Butterflies, for sweet Agni's s__ake_, he thought as a tinge of red ran across his nose. She smoothed a hand down his chest in an act of comfort he didn't expect from her. He was so moved by her, incredibly. Even with horror and grief crowding her heart, she still found it in herself to give him solace.

"You're so good to me." she finally said, her voice thick and rough. "I can't ask for someone better."

Touched, he smiled and dropped an affectionate kiss on the top of her head.

"You don't have to hold me anymore." she told him, but inwardly hoped he would never let go. "I'm okay now," she said.

"I'm not," he returned easily. "Go back to sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

Once again, they fell into comfortable silence. Soon, he felt her breathing slow, her heart rate go down. When he was sure she was asleep, he tenderly cupped her cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you," He pressed his lips to her hair and hoped that she wouldn't dream now.

**AN: **UGH OMFG RESIDUAL MASAMI FEELS I HAVE TO GET RID OF THEM. Lol who am I kidding, I'll never jump off the Masami tugboat_; I will alway have Masami feels_. They could have had it all smh.

So this is just another thing Ihad to get out of my system. Personally, I think that even a choice motha like Asami would get nightmares. And the only likely situation for that was when her shit hit the fan for her (i.e., when Hiroshi turned out to be an equalist). I think it would've gotten worse when Hiroshi tried to kill her.

This is pretty pathetic, resulting from my mind wandering during Theology class. Soz for the cheesy ending. I like a little cheese in everything.


End file.
